Army green to gold

LAS VEGAS – After Spencer Haywood conquered immense odds to earn a spot on America’s 1968 Olympic basketball team, word out got out he was from Trinidad.How, he was asked, did he emigrate from the tiny island nation in the Caribbean?“Um, no,” Haywood said. “I’m from Trinidad, Colorado,”His response inspired a new question.“Where the hell is Trinidad, Colorado?”On Oct. 25, 1968 – 50 years ago Thursday – Haywood placed Trinidad on the basketball map when he led an American team depleted by protest and bizarre coaching decisions to world supremacy, lengthening a 32-year American gold medal run dating back to the 1936 games.Lew Alcindor (later known as Kareem-Abdul Jabbar), Elvin Hayes and Wes Unseld declined to play for the U.S., and Pete Maravich, Calvin Murphy and Dan Issel were cut from the team. All six are members of the Basketball Hall of Fame.As Haywood stood with his teammates at the medal ceremony, he wept. His … [Read more...] about David Ramsey: 50 years ago, Trinidad’s Spencer Haywood carried America to Olympic basketball gold

By Rina Saeed Khan Published: September 17, 2018 0 SHARES Share Tweet Email (R to L): Sakina, Khanum and their friend pose for a photo next to a water channel in Siksa Valley, Gilgit-Baltistan. PHOTO: RINA SAEED KHAN I had never been past Khaplu in the Ganche District of Baltistan, a lovely green valley encircled by towering mountains. I had stayed a few times at the picturesque Khaplu Fort Palace Hotel, which has painstakingly been restored by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture. The Khaplu Fort Palace Hotel Hence, I was excited to actually drive past Khaplu and head further north towards our border area with India’s Ladakh region. This is a restricted area controlled by the Army and most tourists are turned back. Luckily, we had clearances as we were heading to a village called Siksa, around an hour and a half drive from Khaplu, where Aisha Khan, the intrepid CEO of the Mountain and Glacier Protection Organisation (MGPO) was implementing a water replenishment project … [Read more...] about Siksa Valley: Turning Gilgit-Baltistan’s barren lands into green miracles

There are sporting upsets and then there is the story of the Irish women’s hockey team. Against all the odds, the Irish reached the Women’s World Cup final yesterday after beating Spain 3-2 in another dramatic shoot-out after the game had finished 1-1 in normal time. Hockey has never seen the like of it. Once again, Ayeisha McFerran proved the hero as Spain buckled over the 22-year-old goalkeeper’s sheer presence before Gillian Pinder calmly slotted underneath Maria Ruiz’s body to send the Green Army into the gold-medal match against the might of Holland, the eight-time champions. Ireland’s amateur players, who had been forced to fork out a €550 levy just to compete in tournaments until last year, raced to the corner flag at a sun-drenched Olympic Park. There they celebrated with the ever-smiling McFerran, the “twinkle-toed rock” in Ireland’s goal. Incredible. “You want to come to a World Cup and make an impact,” said … [Read more...] about Low-ranked Ireland shock Spain in shoot-out to reach Women’s Hockey World Cup final

Memorial Day may be summer’s unofficial kickoff, but there’s nothing casual about the planning that goes into this weekend. From half-athletic, half-cultural events such as the Bolder Boulder to free, large-scale music festivals such as the Denver Day of Rock, celebrations abound along the Front Range. Of course, if all you want to do is watch a motorcycle parade or hear some patriotic music, you can do that, too. Here is a sampling of some of the biggest and best events along the Front Range for this three-day invitation to summer. Veterans Memorial Day Tribute This formal tribute at POF Hall, a half-block due south of the State Capitol, was founded 18 years ago to honor Colorado’s fallen heroes “in the presence of families, friends, military/political figures and the public,” according to the city. The 2018 event, which runs 10 a.m.-noon, will feature inspirational music, a Reading of Names, the U.S. Navy Bell Toll, a Remembrance Wreath laying … [Read more...] about 10 ways to celebrate Memorial Day weekend 2018 in Denver and beyond

WASHINGTON — The National Memorial Day Concert is an annual tradition for D.C. residents to attend on the National Mall and for Americans around the world to watch on television. “It’s quite a night in Washington,” host Joe Mantegna told WTOP. “There’s a reason why [it’s] the most-watched show on PBS. … It made me realize how important Memorial Day is. It’s our most important holiday because it’s the one holiday that allows us to have all the others.” Montegna has emceed since 2002, most of those alongside Gary Sinise (“Forrest Gump”). “It is a little buddy thing, two guys from Chicago,” Mantegna said. “I suggested they bring in Gary and the Lt. Dan Band, because he’d been traveling all over the world entertaining the troops. … When the concert was over, Gary was so moved by the event, he said, ‘I’ll come back and do this anytime you want.’ I said, … [Read more...] about National Memorial Day Concert to feature historic Silver Star woman